Elastic-fluid turbine.



i PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

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No. 745,270. y J. WILKINSON.

BLASTIG FLUID. TURBINB,

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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BLASTIC F APPLIGATION LKINSON. A

LUID TURBIN'E.. I FILED SEPT. 12, 1903.

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J. WILKINSON.v ELASTIG lFLUID TURBINE.

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No. 745,27o.

UNITED STATES Ilatented November 24, 1903.

PATENT ',OEETCE.

JAMES WILKINSON, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WILKIN- SON STEAM TURBINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ALABAMA.

ELAsTlC-FLUID TURBINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,270, dated November 24, 1903. Application led September l2, 1903. Serial No. 172.923. (No model.)

E @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES WILKINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State 5 of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elastic-Fluid Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction and assembling of the parts 1o of elastic-fluid turbines with a view toincreasing the casing strength to withstand high internal pressures.

It is the object of my invention to provide the turbine with an outer steel shell extending beyond the inlet and exhaust heads or shoulders thereon and having an internal annular shoulder and a channel within which a sectional or split locking-ring is inserted to form a continuous locking-abutment,between zo which and the shoulder the several sections of the casing will be securely held against longitudinal displacement.

My invention further comprises the use of reheating-coils within the several wheel-coinpartments and of a plurality of radiating fins carried by the inner shelland disposed 4within the compartment opposite to an annular steam chamber or jacket in the outer shell for the purpose of checking the initial condensation of the elastic Huid upon delivery to the several compartments and evaporating the water of condensation which will be caughtby thesuperheated radiating fins when thrown o by the bucketwheel.

My invention consists inthe construction and arrangement` of parts hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in Which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a turbine, partly broken away, to illustrate the internal construction by a vertical sectional elevation therethrough. Fig. 2 is a partial section showing my shell applied to a single-stage turbine.

Fig. 3 shows the shell channeled to receive two retainerrings, one at each end.V Fig. 4 is a top plan View of a portion of the shell, broken away to show the locking-wedge for 5o a sectional ring. Fig. 5 illustrates my invention applied to a multiple-stage horizontal marine turbine. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation showing more clearly the manner of introducing steam to the superheating-coils and a modified form of retainer-ring and adjustable packin g-rin g therefor made in two parts. Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig 4, showing the two rings locked-in position. Figs. 8 and 9 lshow them in section separated and assembled, ihe adjustable lpacking-ring and nut 6o being enlarged in thelatter view to show their eccentric action.

The same reference-numerals refer to the same parts throughout.

The turbine comprises 'the head-section 1, 65 having a depending peripheral flange 2, a series of transverse nozzle-passages 3, and radial openings in its edge, in which rotary fluid-supply valves 4 are seated to open and Vclose the passages 3, subject to any suitable 7o automatic governor control. A governing means 0f any desired construction may actuate valves 4 through an opening 5 in the head 1, moving them to open or close the nozzlepassage. l

The shaft 6, the end bearings for which have been omitted from the drawings, passes through a central opening in thehead 1 and througha stuiiing-box 7, tiXed thereto and internally divided into compartments by par- 8o titions 8, having central openings within which are seated pressure-tight the automatic pressure-reducing ring-valves 9. Disks 10, rotating with the shaft, form seats between which these valves adjust themselves in the '8 5 manner described in Letters Patent No. 739,965, issued to me September 29, 1903, and act to prevent the leakage of pressure from the casing around the shaft. A valve 9, seated within the inner central opening of the head, 9o which is formed with an annular shoulder 11, is suspended between the lower disk 10 and the hub of the bucket-wheel-12, which is keyed to the shaft and provided Vwith a row of peripheral buckets 13, detachably secured thereto by a ring 14 in the manner described in my pending applications, Serial Nos. 167,733 and 173,339,- filed July 31, 1903 and September 15, 1903, respectively, and dis- The turbine is divided into compartments, Within each of which a bucket-wheel rotates, by means of stationary diaphragm-partitions 15, whose flangedperiph'eries form parts of the casing proper and have suitable valvechambers bored radially therein, as in the head. 'Circular rows ot' nozzle-passages 3, increasing in size in the direction of the ow of the fluid, conduct it against succeeding bucket-wheels until it is delivered to theexhaust-head 16, which has a stuffing-box 7 similar to that of the supply-head 1. A ringvalve 9 is placed between the hubs of adjacent wheels, being seated pressure tight within the central openings in the diaphragms, and acts to control the leakage of pressure between compartments with a view to enabling the stage-pressures therein to be maintained. A controlling device 17 for each stage-valve 18 acts in the manner described in my pending application, Serial No. 165,512.

Theseturbines are intended to operate with high internal pressures by reason of the fact that the energy of pressure ofthe fluid is only fractionally converted into the velocity in the earlier stages, and therefore exerts almost its full per-square-inch pressure within the turbine. According to the usual method of construction this strain would require the use of a great numberof large bolts around the heads to hold them together, which arrangement would not only weaken the heads and render uncertain the uniform distribution of strain, but would not increase the turbines strength to withstand lateral strain. To dispense with this cumbrous method of bolting and materially increase the strength of the turbine in all directions, I surround the casing proper with a very thick and strong cylindrical steel shell19, which extends beyond the head 1 andthe exhaust end 16 ofthe turbine or a shoulder20 thereon. According to Fig. 1 this shell has an internal shoulder 21 at its lower end, which engages shoulder 20 on the exhaust-head when slipped over the latter before its anged bottom plate 22 has been secured thereto. An annular channel or groove 23 is disposed around the inner Wall of said shell at a point immediately above the head 1, and retaining-ring 24 is seated therein and projects inwardly from the same in a manner to form an annular abutment,between which and the shoulder 2l the turbine parts or elements constituting the casing are held securely in place. The ring 24 is preferably formed of a curved strip of steel rectangularin cross-section and havidg its ends oppositely tapered to leave a wedge-shaped opening between them when the rin-g is in place in the groove, so that a wedge-block 25 when inserted between them will spread the ring and securely lock it in place, as seen in Fig. 4. A second channel and ring may be substituted for the shoulder 21, as seen in Figs. 3 and 5, in which case the shell may be removed in either direction.

In connection with Fig. 1 it will be noted that the exhaust-chamber forms a full-sized continuation ot' the inner casing, which not only makes the turbine more compact, but avoids the danger and inconvenience ot' piping the fluid to a separate chamber. An opening 26 leads to an air pump or drain, and the port 27 may be exposed to the atmosphere. A surface condenser may be used within the chamber.

In practice it becomes of importance to be able to inspect and, if necessary, replace parts of the turbine, and with this object in view I preferably form the shaft slightly tapering, so that when the upper stuffing-box 7 has been removed the several disks may be knocked loose and slipped up, which will permit the head 1 to be raised to give access to the first wheel-compartment. The length of the exhaust-chamber is such that when the ring 24 is taken out the shell 19 may be slipped down until it rests on the flange of bottom plate 22. This will expose the sides ofthe casing,so that the head, bucket-wheels, and diaphragms may all be removed to permit inspection or repairs to all parts of the turbine. The port 27 is cut away at 28, in-

-stead of shouldered, to avoid interfering with the sliding movements ofthe shell.

In Fig. 2 I show the shell applied to a single-stage or wheel turbine, and in Fig. 5 to a multiple-stage horizontal marine turbine, in which latter case it will be seen that I use the removable rings at each cnd,`so that the shell may be slipped in either direction to facilitate inspection.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 to 9 the ringris provided with a flange 29, which seats against the inner wall of the shell when the ring is in position and is bolted thereto to hold it more securely in place. The wedgeshaped block 30, similar to 25,' closes the opening left between the ends of the ring to give it a continuous character, so that the packing-ring 31, inserted between it and the head, will prevent all leakage of pressure between the shell and casing. This packing may be used at each end of the shell and also with the ring in Fig. 1. To further prevent leakage, I use a curved adjustable packingstrip 32, having tapered ends and elongated bolt-openings 33, in which annular cams 34, having hexagon heads, are seated. Cap' screws 35 pass through said cams and enter threaded openings in the head 1. Packing 36 is inserted between the ring 24 and the packing-ring 31 and when the latter has been spread by the insertion of the wedge-block 36, which is also yprovided with an opening 33, cam 34, and cap-screw 35, the several cams will be turned to move the ring against its packing, in which position it is held by p tightening the cap-screws.

As the elastic duid is expanded in the several passages and its energy of pressure converted into velocity there will be a drop of temperature between the several compartments, whose high-pressure diaphragms will IOO ITO

be superheated from the greater heat in the preceding compartment, While their low-pressure diaphragme will be cooled below the mean temperature of the compartment by radiation into the succeeding lower-pressure compartment. There will be a similar radiation of heat from the outer Walls of the cas` ing, so that unless provision is made to overcome this there will be a surface condensation in the compartments, which will result in the accumulation of water therein. Not only will this water cause great friction between the moving and stationary parts, but it also represents a loss of heat which might be utilized throughout the succeeding stages. If the row or rows of buckets move in atemperature that is lower than that of the iiuid stream impinging against them, an initial condensation will result, due to the fact that the metal of the buckets will be of lower temperature than the stream, and it is also true that this condensation will be further increased by the action of the buckets in drawing a certain amount of the colder-stage fluid into combination with the fluid stream. It is an object of my invention to prevent this condensation by placing a superheating-coil '37 in each compartment, excepting the one opening to the exhaust, to compensate for the radiation through the low-pressure diaphragm and by surrounding the compartment casing wall with a steam-jacket 38 and inwardly-disposed radiating ns 39, which catch and evaporate all the water of condensation thrown off by the bucket-wheel. The chamber forming the annular steam-jacket 88 may be formed in the shell, as shown in Fig. 1, or in the wall of the casing, as shown in Fig. 6, and supplied with superheated steam or any other heating i'luid of higher temperature than that of the compartment bya pipe 40. After circulating therein the steam passes out through an outlet-pipe 41, which, though shown near to the inlet-pipe, will preferably be placed opposite thereto across the turbine. I surround the casing- Wall of each compartment with one of these jackets, (excepting the exhaustcompartment,) so that its temperature will be maintained higher thanl that of the compartment, and I further provide the walls with inwardlydisposed annular radiating tins or ribs 39,

which will catch all Water of condensation thrown oft by wheel l12 and hold it until it has been evaporated.

Within the compartments and resting on the low-pressure diaphragms thereof are the Y compensating-coils 37, which may be supplied is led out through outlet-pipes 4.1. (Notshown herein.)

The steam-jacket for the first compartment will be supplied with steam, as in Fig. 1, and the pipes 40 and 4l will lead directly through the shell and casing to the coil in the last compartment above that open to the exhaust, since no jacket is used for the latter compartment. These passages lead through the enlarged peripheries of the diaphragms between the nozzle-passages, and suitable stuffing devices may be used to prevent the leakage of pressure around them when they pass out through the casing. These jackets perform the further object of heating the shell in a manner to cause it to expand equally with the turbine parts, which will be important when the steam is first admitted to the` turbine, for if the shell had to be heated by radiation from within it would expand but slowly, whereas the turbine parts would expand very rapidly.

The locking-ring may be formed in segments or, having providedmeans to prevent the leakage of pressure between the shell and easing, independent blocks may be used; also, the channel could be formed slightly wedged at its upper end to' hold the ring more sesecurely in place under strain. These and other modifications may be made without dei parting from the spirit of my invention, and its limitation to any specific form of structure is disclaimed.

InFig. 4 I have illustrated the construction of the ring when formed in segments, and this will be my preferred form with4 turbines of large diameter, when a one-piece ring would be liable to become warped or broken in handling. This ring may be detachably secured -within the turbine-head in any desired manner, such as by bolting it thereto or by screwing it therein, and it will also be noted that in case it is not desirable to use steam-jackets the diaphragm-anges forming the inner casing may be dispensed with, in which case the diaphragms will be held in yposition by securing means on the shell, which will then constitute the casing of the turbine.

The several sections of the turbine are interlocked to hold them nore securely against v lateral displacement.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters j Patent, is-

1. In an elastic-duid turbine, head-sections and means to lock them in position against internal pressure comprising an integral tubular shell and retaining means disposed within said shell and forming abutments by which the heads are locked in position.

2. In an elastic-fluid turbine, having headsections and an intermediate casing, the combination therewith of an outer shellsurrounding said casing and locking said head-sections IOO IIO

together by removable curved locking-abut- Y ments inwardly disposed to engage said heads.

3. In an elastic-fluid turbine, having headsections and an intermediate casing, the com- 4. In an elastic-duid turbine operating by stage expansion and having head-sections with intermediate partition-sections forming a casing, a tubular shell surrounding said casing and provided with an inner curved shoulder engaging one head-section and a curved recess Within which a locking-ring is seated to form a stop engaging the other headsection.

5. An elastic-fluid turbine comprising a casing having head-sections, in combination with an outer shell surrounding said casing and having an internal shoulder and a detachable lookin g-rin g which engage said headsections to lock them in position.

6. An elastic-fluid turbine comprising a casing having head-sections, in combination with an outer shell surrounding said casing and having an internal annular shoulder and channel, a ring, forming an inwardly-projecting stop between which and said shoulder the heads are held together, which is seated in said channel, and means to hold said ring in position.

'7. An elastic-Huid turbinecomprisingheadsections, in combination with an outer shell surrounding said sections and holding them together between stops formed by an internal annular shoulder and a spring-ring seated in an internal channel and locked therein by a wedge-block inserted between its abutting ends.

8. An elastic-Huid turbine comprising a casing having head-sections, in combination with an outer shell surrounding said casing and having an internal annular shoulder and channel, a split ring having a shoulder entering said channel, a block closing the opening between the ends of said ring and packing interposed between said ring and the shell to which it is bolted, said ring and shoulder forming stops which engage said head-sections to hold them in position. l

9. An elastic-Huid turbine comprising a casing having head-sections, in combination with an outer shell surrounding said casing and adapted to hold said head-sections together by internal stops formed by a shoulder and a detachable locking-ring seated in inner circumferential channel and having a flange bolted to said shell, packing interposed between said ring and shell, and an adjustable packing-ring carried by'a head-section and adapted to engage said ring.

10. An elastic-fluid turbine comprising a casing having head-sections, in combination with an outer shell surrounding said casing and provided with inwardly-disposed abutment-s between which said head-sections are held, one of said abutments being a detachable sectional ring mounted in said shell.

11. In an elastic-fluid turbineawheel-compartment having a peripheral wall provided with inwardly-disposed heat-radiating projections, and means to heat said Wall.

12. In an elastic-iiuid turbine a wheel-compartment having the inner face of its peripheral wall serrated and means to superheat said wall from, an external source of heat.

13. In an elastic-fluid turbine a plurality of wheel-compartments formed by diaphragmpartitions and peripheral walls, a shell surrounding said walls, circular steam-chambers formed between said shell and walls opposite the several compartments, means to circulate steam through said chambers and radiating ns heated by said steam and disposed within said compartments.

14. In a multiple-stage elastic-Huid turbine a steam-jacket surrounding each stage and a reheating-coil in each stage.

15. In a multiple-stage elastic-fluid turbine a steam-jacket surrounding each stage and a reheating-coil in each stage in series with said jacket.

16. In an elastic-Huid turbine one or more diaphragms dividing its interior into stages, a rotating element in each stage, a reheatingcoil disposed between said rotating element and the low-pressure diaphragm of each stage, a steam-jacket surrounding the peripheral Walls of said stages, and means to circulate steam in series through a coil and said jacket comprising inlet and outlet pipes leading through the casing, and an internal passage connecting said coil and jacket.

17. In an elastic-duid turbine having end sections, a tubular casing provided with abutments adapted to engage said end sections,

and hold them in place, one of said abutments being removable.

1.8. In an elastic-fluid turbine, acasing, end sections, and a shoulder in said casing engaging one section, and a detachable means to lock the other section.

19. In an elastic-fluid turbine, a tubular shell forming the casing thereof, end sections, and retaining means, part detachable and part fixed, disposed on said shell and adapted to hold said sections in place.

20. In an elastic-Huid turbine having headsections and a surrounding casing, retaining means by which said sections are engaged and locked in 'place comprising an abutment near one end of said casing, and a recess near the other end, and a locking element seated in said recess.

21. In an elastic-duid turbine end sections, and a casing provided with detachable abutments engaging one end vsection and means engaging the other end section to hold them in position.

IOO

v 22. An elastic-Huid turbine having, end sections and a shell, surrounding said sections tainerring for the other end engaging said' casing and provided with aboltingange.

25. An elastic-fluid turbine comprising a casing, end sections, means to lock one of said ends in place, and a retainer-ring engaging said casing and the other end to lock the latter in place, in combination with an adjustable packing ring adapted lto prevent leakage of Huid-pressure around said ring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES WILKINSON.

Witnesses:

HARToN, R. D. JOHNSTON. 

